DD 7 hairy arms... anyone else!

[MrsSanta]

DD just coming up to 7 has really hairy arms, hairy on her back (not loads but enough to notice) and its starting to bother her. Dr noticed a while ago and said the may snap off.

It doesn't bother me or DH but she is at that age now were other kids are noticing it, one boy in class said "why are yur arms so hairy" and she got upset.

Anyone any advice, I think what is playing on my mind is she going to grow up especially hairy. DH is hairy and we are both white.

Can't help but bumping for you.

I was like this, my mum really discouraged me from doing anything about it, she was worried I think that I would do more harm than good, but it was a nightmare. Still is really annoying. I really don't know what to suggest, maybe go back to your GP, but help her find a solution, kids can be really cruel.
Today I find hair removal cream best for my arms, use it every 2/3 weeks and I'm saving up for laser hair removal.

I have hairy arms. Can't say it's ever been a problem.
Teach her some retortsd to any jibes: ''why are you so ugly?'' if that makes her feel better.

I have hairy arms. Never especially bothered me. When I was at work most of my team would sing "" ooh - the hair bear bunch" on the
first day of warm weather, when I was bare -armed.
As all four of them fancied me and i had absoloutely no shortage of boygriends etc I never regarded it as anything other that a body type thing -part of the flip side of having thick glossy black hair which most of my friend coveted. some you win some you loose ....

Having something slightly different is not always a big deal. And just because people comment doesn't make it change worthy.
She is young. I would wait and see..

Mrs Santa
My dd (9) has very hairy arms, she's self conscious about it too - refuses to wear short sleeves a lot of the time.

I have told her that she will be able to do something about it when she's older - but not sure what -

Hadn't thought of hair removal cream - great idea. I had wondered about trimming with scissors?

I'm not getting at anyone on this thread but none of us are perfect and it does make me sad to think of young children being encouraged to start on a lifetime of slavish and potentially harmful routines because of something so realtively normal. I mean we all have hair on our bodies.
We as parents are not always able to 'fix' everything and surely it is better to build their self confidence and teach them how to deal with jibes.
Unless any of us want to start on plastic surgery for children because they get teased for the shape of their nose, or whatever....

Obviously it depends on how bothered by it she is, my arms used to bother me less than my legs. I have only started using cream on my arms recently and it makes me feel so much better when I wear short sleeves. Problem is that hair removal is either short term or painful.. Creams are now much better than they used to be, but are messy!

creams can also burn!

filthy obviously that would be fab, but I had no confidence and was so self concious, I just wish my mum had said 'if you want to do something you can' TBH I didn't get jibes about it that often but I knew i was different and I have spent most of my life covered up and summer was really awful for me for years..

Filthy - I couldn't agree more, I have spent hours and hours talking to her about how everyone is different and trying to make her see that having hairy arms is not important. (I don't think it is important in the very slightest) BUT none of this has helped at all.

I will try to put her off any action for as long as I can, but I don't want her to think there is never going to be anything she can do.

If I can encourage her to wait until she's 18 I will, BUT, I hate to see her not wanting to go to school, wearing a sweater in 30 C (we live in Canada) all day,and making up excuses not to take part in sport (very important for teenage girls I think).

Many people / experts have said I shouldn't brush off her concerns with "it's the person inside that matters" but really listen to what she feels is something that matters.

Hardly anyone will notice!

But filthy it isn't about other people, its about how she feels about herself, I remove my hair because I feel much better about myself if i do.

Yes, I have said that to her a million times, but she lives in fear that someone will and will tease her and the whole class will stare and say "yuck, how disgusting". (Which, knowing some of the kids in her class is actually very likely)

So no, hardly anyone will notice, but she will notice being worried everyday at school, or not taking part in things which are vital to her wellbeing.

Hellish, as I said, I'm not getting at anyone on this thread ad I do understand. FWIW, I was plug ugly as a child - (the point is in the 70s, I didn't know I was ugly. People took the piss out of my thick glasses. I took the piss out of them for having hair the colour of mouse-turd. and so on and so on. The point is, if someone takes the piss out of your hair colour, it is their problem, it doesn't mean you should rush off and change it becomes someone else doesn't seem to appreciate it

It's more a sadness that as a soceity we are all sucked into this ideal of perfection, over something which isn't that unnactractive, or painful, or getting in the way of life in any way. For a small child! The OPs daughter is 6 and we are all rushing her off to shave her arms, or use bleach and hair removal creams - designed for adults.

It reminds me of that Caitlin Moran column where she took the piss ou of Madonna's kid for having a 'monobrow'. the thread rolled on and on on MN, as you can imagine!

wonderstuff, but you are an adult, and if we are brutally honest, don't most women remove their hair because thse days it is considered more sexually attractive to be hairless?

I see your point Filthy - and actually I am a bit of a Noel Gallagher in the eyebrow department myself. I was teased about it but never really gave a stuff - still don't. I pluck / wax when I get round to it.

BUT dd is not not me, she is really bothered about it. I am hoping to delay action till she's much older, but just knowing that there is something she could do in the future seems to help.

I know, I counted down the years until I could get contact lenses, myself But then, it did impact on my life in a practical way, wearing thick glasses.

I wear lenses now sometimes when I want to feel prettier, but actually, now at 38, I like myself in glasses. (and oddly, never have bothered to do owt about my hairy arms )
Though I'd not say 'no' to a boob job...

I appreciate that filthy, but I was a very unhappy child. I don't remove hair to be sexually attractive I do it because I think I look like a freak. I don't think other people think that, I have an issue. If the ops child can be encouraged to love herself warts and all that is great, but if in a few years she is still unhappy then there are some solutions that might make her feel better. I see your point but we aren't all as well adjusted as you clearly are.

gosh, i looked before an no body answered and now its gone mad.

Thanks for replies, glad (not for everyone) that she is not alone and hopefully not going to end up with a big hairy lip at 10.

Whilst she is bothered its not taking over her life, just occasional she mentions it, as she gets older it may get worse with the names etc. I just wanted to see if i was alone in this or others were the same.
Yes as an adult she can choose to wax/dye laser if necesary but deffinately not now.

She has the most fantastic face and eyes so really nobody needs to notice her arms., but as we all know kids can be cruel especially with when they find a weak spot for name calling.

wonderstuff, I have my hang-ups the same as anybody else. If I appear well-adjusted it is because I have had to adjust. Which is kind of my point. If one attempts to remove all unpleasantness from a child's life, they will never learn to cope....

Fair enough, that makes sense